


what it once was

by awkward_energy



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Arguing, Best Friends, Blood, Crying, Explosions, Family Dynamics, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Happy Ending, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Its just a lil bit tho, Manberg Festival on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), No Romance, Platonic Relationships, Running Away, Self Confidence Issues, Suicide, Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit Friendship, Toby Smith | Tubbo and TommyInnit Run Away, Toby Smith | Tubbo-centric, Violence, please just stick with me for a bit, plot? what plot? dont know what you mean, sorry i suck at sticking to the plot so bad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:48:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26948497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awkward_energy/pseuds/awkward_energy
Summary: "So you have all 3 discs?" Tommy said, looking at his best friend"I believe so yeah" Tubbo replied, heart racing as he fidgets. They both stayed silent for a while, collecting their thoughts together as they sat there on the bench.Tension filled the air as they both came to a crazy conclusion together.They could run away.-------------------------------------------------------------aka, tommy and tubbo decide to run away
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s), Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit
Comments: 44
Kudos: 693





	1. overcoming fear

"So you have all 3 discs?" Tommy said, looking at his best friend

"I believe so yeah" Tubbo replied, heart racing as he fidgets. They both stayed silent for a while, collecting their thoughts together as they sat there on the bench. 

Tension filled the air as they both came to a crazy conclusion together.

  


They could run away.

  


"That means we could-"

"Yup…" Tommy interrupted Tubbo, already knowing what he was going to say.

Silence filled the air once more, both of them looking at the ground. Millions and millions of thoughts in their heads.

"I don't-"

"Tubbo...we could run away. We can escape all of this, explore the lands we've never seen, live in peace, build our own house, live our own lives. Without the war, the fighting, the chaos...we can be kids again Tubbo.." Tommy said with a sigh, a sad smile on his face as he looked at the small boy next to him.

They were so tired of everything. So so tired

At the end of the day, they're just kids. They're just 16 year old kids who were dragged into this mess. Into a literal war.

Tommy looked at Tubbo, and he could see the pain in his eyes. Tubbo's gone through so much. They both have, but Tubbo has to live in fear everyday, the stress of having to hide such a big secret from such a scary man. 

"I don't know Tommy..what about Wilbur?" Tubbo asked hesitantly, pain in his voice. He was definitely considering the possibility of running away, but he doesn't know if he has the guts to do it.

"Tubbo, I know it may be hard but if we truly want peace, this is probably the only way. Sure it's selfish, but holy fuck, we're only 16 man. We're supposed to be playing around in the fields, or bantering about something stupid. Not trying to figure out how to stop a man from blowing up a whole nation." Tommy responded sternly. It pained him, talking about Wilbur as if he's crazy. 

But that's not Wilbur anymore. At least not  _ their  _ Wilbur anymore. The Wilbur that would scold Tommy when he's doing something stupid again, the Wilbur that would go on and monolog about how we need to take back L'manburg, the Wilbur that was once our president. He's gone now.

"Tommy...how would we even do this? What if something goes wrong and you die, or we both die! I don't-" Tubbo couldn't even finish his sentence, he was scared. Tommy could see that, and it pained him so much, but this was the only thing they could do.

"Tubbo you're strong, I know you are. A quick adventure out in the wilderness won't kill you, won't either of us. We're both strong and you know it. We've lived up to here and that says something." 

Tommy sighed as he got up "I'll give you time to think about it, but honestly I think running away is the only chance we'll get to be happy, I'll see you later alright?" 

"Yeah..see you later" Tubbo said quietly, not even having the guts to look Tommy in the eyes.

As he heard the boy get on his horse and swiftly leave, he looked up at the sky. The wind flowing through his hair as he thought of all the possibilities that could happen. Tommy was right, this was their only chance to be happy, the problem is that Tubbo doesn't know if he has the guts to take that chance.

The boy sighed as he slouched on the bench, trying to clear his mind as he didn't want to think about anything right now.

Suddenly, Tubbo heard footsteps behind him

"Hey Tubbo"

The voice made the boy shiver in fear, as he already knew who that was.

He looked back to see Schlatt, Quackity, and Fundy, all together.

"Hey Schlatt.." Tubbo responded, trying to hide the fear in his voice.

"You look a bit uh..a bit stressed there, you mind telling me what's going on in that little head of yours?" Schlatt asked negatively, no concern in his voice at all.

"I'm just uh..just stressed about the festival y'know! I have a whole speech to do and stuff.." Tubbo stammered a bit, making something up right on the spot. 

"Right right the festival! You excited? You got a big part to do and I  _ really  _ don't want you to miss it, cause if you do, I don't think I could  **ever** forgive you, you got that?" 

Tubbo felt his whole body freeze.

' _ Did he hear our conversation? No he couldn't have, he was nowhere near us.. _ ' Tubbo thought to himself, millions and millions of questions swirling around his head.

' _ Tubbo you're strong _ ' Tubbo replayed the talk he and Tommy had in his head. ' _ We've lived up to here and that says something. _ ' That phrase brought Tubbo back to reality. He was strong, he can do this.

"What do you mean Schlatt? Why would I ever betray you?" Tubbo asked, putting on a fake smile for him. All he had to do was act, to just pretend until the festival and he'd be free.

"Mhm...you sure 'bout that? Cause if I found out my right-hand man  **_lied_ ** to me...chaos will definitely happen" Schlatt sternly said, getting closer to Tubbo's face. 

"Well, looks like there won't be any chaos happening any time soon!" Tubbo said innocently. He may be smiling as if nothing bad ever happened on the outside, but on the inside he was terrified. Terrified that Schlatt's going to find out about everything.

Tubbo mentally shook his head, he shouldn't be thinking about these things.

Schlatt stared at him for a few moments, it looked as if he was searching for something, searching for any lies in Tubbo's statement. 

"Alright, we should get things ready for the festival, we're gonna need a lot of materials so let's get started now." Quackity said, cutting through the tension. Schlatt nodded, and walked away, both Fundy and Quackity following him.

Tubbo let out the biggest sigh ever, he didn't even realize he was holding his breath for a while.

As Tubbo looked at the president walking away, everything suddenly came back to him. All the terrible things the man has done, the terrible things he's said. All of it came like an unexpected car crash.

The boy felt so many emotions, sadness, anger, disgust, all of it.

And so Tubbo has already made up his mind.

At first, he didn't have the guts to make a choice, to leave everything he's worked on. 

That was until Tommy gave him the guts to make a choice, and so he's made up his mind.

He's running away with his best friend.

And that's probably the best decision he's made in his whole goddamn life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! I hope you liked the first chapter so far! If you did please give kudos, that would really mean a lot to me!  
> ANYWAY this is my first time actually making a story WITH chapters (i usually make oneshots!) so if it seems a bit crappy im sorry, im very new to this  
> It may take a while for me to update chapters, it really depends how much motivation I have really  
> Please send feedback! Thank you!


	2. god what did they get themselves into

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please comment if you see a spelling error!!

"What are you doing out this late?" 

Tubbo's whole body froze as he heard a familiar voice behind him.

He slowly turned around to see Quackity, arms crossed with a confused look on his face.

"H-Hey Quackity! What are you um..doing out here?" Tubbo nervously asked, sweat pouring out of his forehead. ' _ This is it...he's gonna realize something is up and tell Schlatt. Then he's gonna find out everything and kill me and Tommy and Wilbur and- _ ' 

"I was going to ask Schlatt something...you still haven't answered my question" Quackity replied, cutting off Tubbo's thoughts.

"Oh! Right! I was just uh...going to..uhm" Tubbo stammered, trying to think of an excuse at the top of his head.

Quackity could see the fear in the younger boy's eyes as he tried to think of an excuse. It pained him to see such a young boy in such a chaotic and dangerous situation. Quackity sighed as he dropped his arms the side, lowering his head as he closed his eyes

"Look kid, I don't really give a shit where you're going, just promise me you're not getting yourself into a more dangerous situation. 'Cause that's the last thing you need right now." Quackity asked, opening his eyes and looking up at the boy in front of him.

"I…- I promise I'm not getting myself into more trouble sir.." Tubbo mumbled, now it was his turn to look down. His heart was beating so fast it felt as if it was going to plummet out of his chest.

"Alright buddy, I'm gonna go now, good luck on whatever your doing" Quackity replied, giving him a pat on the shoulder, as he was walking away he then heard Tubbo ask

"Y-Your not gonna tell Schlatt...right?"

Quackity turned around to see so much fear in Tubbo's eyes, and god that hurt him so much.

"I kinda have to Tubbo.." Quackity answered, a pained expression on his face.

Tubbo's eyes went wide, his heart sank right to his stomach. If Schlatt finds out, who knows what he'll do. 

"N-No wait Quackity! Y-You..you can't! Please you can't..- He'll...- You just can't! Please Quackity..I'm begging you.." Tubbo said in a panic "Who-...who knows what he'll do.."

Quackity heard him mumble the last phrase, as if he was telling that to himself. 

Quackity's heart shattered into so many pieces, he couldn't bear looking at the boy for any longer, as it hurt him so much. He hated this. It would be so easier to just go and tell Schlatt about this but this is different.

This is Tubbo. 

16 year old Tubbo.

A fucking kid.

"Okay...I won't- I won't tell Schlatt. Just promise me to be more careful, 'cause I won't let you off this easy the next time I find you" Quackity said, coming up with a compromise.

Tubbo frantically nodded, happiness started bubbling in his stomach.

"Alright, now go wherever you need to go" Quackity sternly said

The younger boy ran off in a bit of a panic, and Quackity just stood there. Stood there until he couldn't see Tubbo anymore, as he was too far. He sighed, and went back to go ask Schlatt something.

God, he sometimes really hates Manburg.

* * *

As Tubbo arrived at his underground base, he walked to Pogtopia and thought of all the different possibilities both Tommy and him could do when they run away.

He was so excited. So so excited.

They can be free again.

That brought a big smile on Tubbo's face. 

Tubbo reached the end of the tunnel, and saw the wood stairs that lead up to the actual base of Pogtopia. It was quiet, the only thing breaking that silence were the bats squeaking every once in a while.

"What are you doing here Tubbo?"

Tubbo quickly looked around to see Wilbur, cooking his potatoes. 

The boy sighed in relief. ' _ It's just Wilbur _ ' He thought to himself.

"I was just going to meet up with Tommy, do you happen to know where he is?" Tubbo asked the older man. 

"No..last time I saw him was at the entrance of the base but I'm not sure if he's there anymore" Wilbur explained, going back to cooking his potatoes.

"Hmm..Alright! Thanks anyways Wilbur!" Tubbo replied, waving a goodbye and walking to go where Tommy was last seen. 

' _ Wilbur seems fine...I wonder why Tommy said he's gone batshit crazy… _ ' Tubbo asked himself as he made his way to the cobblestone stairs. 

"Hey Tubbo...why do you want to meet up with Tommy? Especially this late.." Wilbur suddenly asked

The younger boy's expression changed into a confused one, as Wilbur never really cared why Tommy and him wanted to meet up. Wilbur never asked such a thing..

"Erm...why are you asking me this? You've never asked me or Tommy this question, so why now?" Tubbo asked, his brows furrowed.

A chuckle was all Tubbo received.

Now Tubbo was really confused, and a bit worried.

"Tubbo, Tubbo, Tubbo...little innocent Tubbo...I ask this because I'm just curious y'know! Is it wrong for your best buddy Wilbur to be curious?" Wilbur asked, a weird tone in his voice. His tone seemed  _ too  _ happy to be normal.

"Wilbur...you're acting really strange..is there something wrong?" Tubbo asked, taking a few steps back just for safety.

"Strange…?" 

He heard Wilbur whisper.

"Strange!? Of course  _ you'd _ think I'm strange Tubbo...of course!!" Wilbur chuckled in between sentences. ' _ What happened to Wilbur? _ ' Tubbo asked himself.

"W-Wilbur? What do you...mean?" 

"You know what I mean Tubbo!! You don't need to just hide it from me…" 

"Hide what…?"

Tubbo felt fear bubbling up inside of him, this wasn't Wilbur. Why is he acting like this?  _ Why why why? _

"Hide the fact that you're not on our side…" Wilbur finally said after a long pause of silence. Tubbo's eyes shot wide, ' _ Does Wilbur really think this? _ ' Tubbo thought to himself.

"No Wilbur what are you talking abou-"

"You know  **EXACTLY** what I'm talking about Tubbo" Wilbur yelled, cutting off Tubbo. The younger boy flinched, he was now  _ terrified _ . All he wanted was to talk with Tommy, not fight with Wilbur.

"You're not our spy are you Tubbo?..." Wilbur asked, fully on looking at him now, luckily they were several feet away from each other.

"Wilbur what do you mean-"

You're not working for us, not at all!! It's just one big joke your playing on us because the MINUTE WE'RE FULLY ON DEFEATED, YOU'LL SWITCH SIDES AS IF NOTHING EVER FUCKING HAPPENED!!" Wilbur shouted, his voice echoing in the cave.

Tubbo's heart was pounding so hard it felt as if everyone in the world could hear it. Tears welled up in Tubbo's eyes, he didn't know what was going on with Wilbur, something definitely wasn't right.

"Wilbur please calm down.." Tubbo whispered

Wilbur took a deep breath.

And then a smirk appeared on his face suddenly.

"Tubbo, can you do a favor for me?" Wilbur asked Tubbo as he made his way over to the younger boy

"Depends on what it is…" Tubbo replied, a confused expression on his face.

"I want you to help me blow up Manburg" 

Tubbo's eyes went wide, for what it felt like the 50th time today.

"I don't-..What-..Wil I don't think thats a good idea.." Tubbo sighed, he didn't want to be apart of any of this. All he wanted was to run away, run away with his best friend and experience peace for more than just a day again.

"Tubbo it's obvious I don't trust you, but you can gain that trust back! Just help with this and we can rebuild L'manburg into a better place! All you need to do is help me with this.." Wilbur explained, his eyes shining with inspiration.

"Wilbur..I don't know-"

"You have a speech to do right? All you have to do is do your speech, and halfway through it, you run." Wilbur cut off Tubbo.

"W-What? But won't I...die?" Tubbo asked, a shiver ran down his spine as he imagined a glimpse of the destruction of Manburg. 

"How about this, we add a code word in your speech. So that once you say that word, you run away as fast as you can!" Wilbur explained, putting his hands on Tubbo's shoulders. Tubbo could hear the excitement in his voice, which scared Tubbo to death. 

"But..why me? Why are you telling me this if you don't trust me?.." Tubbo asked.

"Because Tubbo..even if I don't trust you, I don't want you dead. You're a good kid Tubbo, a real good kid.." Wilbur explained, almost whispering. Tubbo desperately wanted to tell Wilbur that he was running away, that the reason he wanted to meet up with Tommy was because he wanted to plan when they were running away.

"At least think about it...okay?" Wilbur asked, and Tubbo nodded, even though Tubbo already knew his answer. 

"Hey Wilbur I'm back-" Tommy cut himself off as he quickly noticed that Tubbo's here.

"Tommy!" Tubbo exclaimed, he was so relieved that he came back. Tubbo quickly ran up the stairs, and stood next to him.

"I'm gonna wait for you outside 'kay?" Tubbo explained, wanting to get out as fast as possible. Tommy nodded as a response, and with that, Tubbo practically ran to the entrance of Pogtopia.

"So..what were you two talking about?" Tommy asked, suspicious of Wilbur. He didn't want to be suspicious of Wilbur, but with the things he's said and things he's going to do, he has to be suspicious of him.

"Oh you know...just how Tubbo is going to help me blow up Manburg, that's all" Wilbur said casually, as if it was an everyday thing.

Tommy's eyes widened a bit, surprised that he would even want Tubbo to help him.

"Y'know you could help us too...we could use all the help we can get" Wilbur offered, though Tommy was already set on running away, so there's no use of helping him.

"Sorry Wilbur, but it's a no from me, and it will  _ forever  _ be a no from me.." Tommy said, standing strong on his decision.

"Alright, though if you do happen to change your mind, I'm gonna be right here." Wilbur replied, a smirk in his face.

' _ How did he even get like this… _ ' Tommy thought to himself, his heart hurt seeing him like this. The stress got to him, he could tell.

Tommy looked away after a moment, and started walking up the spiral blocks to meet up with Tubbo at the entrance.

God it's gonna be a hell of a ride, but fuck it's gonna be so worth it when they finally run away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOO FINALLY CHAPTER 2!!! I really hope you guys are enjoying this so far cause i sure as hell am!!  
> Its so fun writing these its literally amazing!  
> Next chapter I might write what their plan is, but you'll just have to wait and see! 👀  
> I'm probably gonna finish this fic after Manburg blows up wich sucks but oh well  
> Kudos & comments are appreciated <3


	3. the plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heya!! yes im back from the dead :)  
> sorry for not posting for a while, school has become such a bitch -_-  
> I'm also working on a one-shot so yeah  
> this is a really short chapter but dont worry! next chapter will be longer :>

Tubbo and Tommy walked around the forest quietly, trying to find a place far enough from both Pogtopia and Manburg.

After a while, they found a spot and sat down to start discussing what they're going to do.

"So...how are we going to do this? Do you have a plan?" Tubbo asked, leaning his back against a tree. He admired the forest around him and how beautiful it looked.

"I have a brief plan of what we should do, but I'm not too sure  _ when  _ we should do it.." Tommy explained, rubbing his chin.

"Okay so how about we discuss the plan first!" Tubbo responded excitedly, he smiled as bright as a light, Tommy never knew how he could be so happy at the worst times.

"M'kay so basically I say once we've packed our supplies, got enough food and armor and shit, we just leave. We just get the hell out of here." Tommy said, making eye contact with Tubbo. 

"I-...I don't know Tommy...shouldn't we atleast tell Wilbur? Or Techno?" Tubbo questioned. He didn't want to leave secretly, he wanted everyone to know that they're leaving, that they're getting away from the nation that caused them so much harm. 

Sure, it may seem dramatic but he didn't care, he  _ wanted  _ it to be dramatic.

"You know I hate keeping secrets from Wilbur Tubbo...but who knows what he'll do. What if he tries to stop us?" Tommy replied, he didn't want to take any risks at the moment.

"H-He wouldn't do that...right?" Tubbo asked, unsure of what the right answer was. Tommy didn't know either, which worried them both. 

"We don't know what he'd do Tubbo! He would do anything if he's planning on  _ blowing  _ up L'manburg!" Tommy exclaimed, and he was right. Who knows what Wilbur can do, if he's preparing to blow up a whole entire nation then who knows what he would be able to do.

"So...we really have to leave  _ everything  _ behind huh.." Tubbo said, coming to the realization. It pained him a bit, that he had to just leave everything he's worked on behind him.

"I know it's hard Tubbo…" Tommy stopped for a second and sighed "but we have to do what we have to do to be safe." 

Tubbo nodded, a serious expression on his face now.

"Okay! So when are we actually going to run away?"

"I say on the day of the festival.." Tubbo mumbled a bit, he  _ really  _ wanted to leave while everyone watched, he wanted everyone to see that they were both going away from the place that caused both of them so much pain.

"That's  _ BRILLIANT!! _ We can set everything up behind a building, either me or you give each other a sign that everything is ready, and then we just- leave!" Tommy exclaimed, coming up with something right on the spot.

Tubbo smiled widely, really liking the plan so far.

As they talked more in depth for the plan they got each other more excited by the second, coming up with code words, signals, everything really. They shared a lot of laughs and smiles until the sun started rising.

It really felt like they were kids, how they're supposed to be. Not the kids stuck in a war, not the kids worried about their nation exploding, the kids that laugh at stupid jokes and mock each other about the dumbest things ever. Those are the kids that they're supposed to be.

As they said their goodbyes, walking their separate ways, they both kept worrying about getting caught. They can't mess this up _ once  _ because if they do, then they're fucked.

* * *

Tubbo walked around Manburg, looking around as he walked closer and closer to his underground bunker. He was so close to it, he could see the entrance under the water.

"Hey Tubbo! My right-hand man!" A scruffy voice was heard behind him. Tubbo jumped, not expecting someone to just scare him like that.

"H-Hey Schlatt! How are you doing? Did you sleep well?" Tubbo asked, trying to throw some suspicions off him, though he didn't exactly know if it was working.

"Yeah, yeah I actually did sleep pretty well...uh anyway, enough about me, what are you doing out here this early anyway?" Schlatt asked enthusiastically. Tubbo started sweating, not liking to be under pressure.

"Uh...I was gathering..leather! For books! I need the books for the uh...the library yeah.." Tubbo replied, making up of an excuse on the spot. 

"Library? We have a library?" 

"Yeah we do! Did you not know?"

"Of course I didn't fucking know Tubbo" Schlatt replied harshly, making Tubbo flinch a little. 

"Oh..Sorry Schlatt" Tubbo apologized, not even knowing why he's saying sorry, he just knows that he has to.

"Alright Tubbo, make sure to prepare for the festival alright?" 

"Y-Yeah I will.." Tubbo replied. Schlatt nodded and walked away. Tubbo let out a big sigh, not even realizing that he was holding his breath. He quickly went down to his bunker and flopped on the bed in there, feeling so tired.

Tubbo felt his eyes get heavier and heavier by the second, not even bothering to change out of his dirty clothes. He then closed his eyes, and fell into a deep sleep, not really dreaming about anything.

Though there was only one thing on his mind, the festival. That was all he could think of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos and comments are appreciated <3


	4. the festival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please comment if you see any errors or spelling mistakes <3

A few days passed by, and it was already the day of the festival.

Tubbo anxiously pulled on his green tie, making sure there aren't any imperfections on his suit. He looked down at himself, and smiled. He was finally getting away from this chaos.

He went over his speech again and again, making sure to memorize every single sentence. He even printed it in dyslexia font, making it so much easier for him to read it.

Even though he wasn't going to do the speech in the first place, he still wanted to practice it just in case. He's spent time on the speech, might as well not let it go to waste. 

After a while, the boy grabbed the discs from his ender chest, armor, tools, and a hell lot of food. He put the items in a small black backpack. The breeze flowed through Tubbo's hair, making him shiver a bit.

He exited the underground bunker, and saw some people around getting everything ready for the festival. The sun was shining brightly, all the beautiful colors of the booths standing out.

The stage definitely stood out, the giant, creepy, ominous, chair being the main attraction. Tubbo felt nervous, hell he was shaking with fear. He kept thinking about all the things that could go wrong in the plan. 

What if Schlatt knows about their plan? 

What if Schlatt is already 10 steps ahead of them, having guards surrounding their escape?

What if they get hurt badly?

What if _Tommy_ gets hurt badly?

What if-

"Hey Tubbo, you okay?"

Tubbo whipped his head around to see Bad there, a concerned look on his face. He sighed in relief, glad that it wasn't Schlatt or Quackity. 

"Uhm...yeah I'm fine! Just a bit nervous y'know" Tubbo replied, completely lying. He nervously chuckled, trying to avoid suspicion. Bad looked at him for a bit, and then nodded

"Mk..if there's anything wrong you can always tell me alright?" Bad replied sincerely.

Tubbo smiled, a genuine smile. He was glad that people really cared about him.

Tubbo nodded in response. Bad smiled back at him and walked away, setting things up just like the others.

Tubbo suddenly felt sadness wash over him, not wanting to run away at that moment. He truly did love Manburg, as much as he'd want to deny it. It was beautiful, and even though so many things have changed, this was still his home. His, Tommy's, and Wilbur's home. Everyone's home. And he was going to leave it just like that.

Tubbo sighed sadly, and started walking around, helping the others, making sure everything is perfect. He placed the black bag at the back of the grey building with yellow windows while no one was looking, hoping nobody would notice him. 

As Tubbo placed the last lantern on the yellow booth, he heard voices and footsteps. He turned around to see Schlatt, George, Quackity, Fundy, and a few other people that weren't originally here. 

Everyone's eyes were on Schlatt as he observed the area menacingly. Everything he did was menacing, his aura was so intimidating, Tubbo could barely even look at Schlatt in the eyes for more than 3 seconds.

"Aye Tubbo!! My right-hand man! Come over here for a sec!" Schlatt yelled out as he spotted the boy. Tubbo jumped, not expecting for Schlatt to call him over. Nonetheless, he walked over to him, already getting nervous. 

"What's up Schlatt?" Tubbo asked with a smile.

"I just wanted to say how _wonderful_ you've decorated this festival. I mean if I put any other person in your position I'm _positive_ that it wouldn't look as good." Schlatt complimented, giving the boy a pat on the back

Tubbo smiled genuinely this time, even if he was going to leave this all away, he was glad that he did this. He made a beautiful place so that everyone could have fun, and he's proud of that.

"Thanks Schlatt...I worked really hard to make it look as nice as possible!" Tubbo responded, the smile still on his face.

"Welp you did a really good job on that, that's why you're my right-hand man!" Schlatt complimented him again. Tubbo started getting a bit suspicious, as Schlatt never really handed out compliments as easily as that. 

' _It's probably just because it's the festival, maybe he's just extra happy today_ ' Tubbo thought to himself.

"Thanks Schlatt.."

A moment after everyone arrived, the festival finally began. Everyone was having a good time, people boxing in the ring, others ice-skating, and some even dancing at the dance floor! There was beautiful music playing loudly through some speakers, it was nice.

While that was happening Tommy and Wilbur were hiding on the roof, observing everything going on. Tommy could see Tubbo watching the others as well, Tommy was more than excited to be running away with him.

Tommy did feel a bit guilty as well, for not telling Wilbur and leaving him behind. Leaving everyone behind, but it has to be done.

They're done being dragged into chaos all the time.

Enough is enough.

Tommy looked at Wilbur, and saw a sad look on the man's face. He didn't know what he was thinking about, but it must not be good.

Both Tubbo and Tommy waited and waited until finally..

It was time for Tubbo's speech.

Oh boy were they in for a ride.

* * *

As Schlatt talked about Tubbo through the microphone so that everyone listened, the boy couldn't help but feel nervous.

Butterflies were swarming around his stomach, to the point where Tubbo felt a bit nauseous. His head was spinning and he couldn't think straight.

Until Tubbo caught Tommy's eyes, and the boy felt immediately at ease, smiling at the taller boy across from him, crouching on the roof.

Tommy smiled back at him, giving the boy a quick nod. 

"Hey I'm gonna go look from the windows, the wind is a bit too strong for me y'know?" Tommy said to Wilbur, making up an excuse right at the spot.

"Uh yeah sure..I'll stay up here" Wilbur replied, barely listening to Tommy.

Tommy quickly ran down, getting everything ready. He grabbed the horse that he put over here, and stayed next to it, getting ready for Tubbo to pearl to him.

Tubbo took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. He was still a bit nervous, his heart still thumping loudly in his ribcage, but he was ready. He was ready to run away, to leave everything behind, to be happy for once in a _really_ long time.

He was finally ready.

Everyone started clapping as Schlatt was finishing up his statement, moving out of his chair so Tubbo could go on it. Tubbo looked at Tommy for the last time, a determined look on his face. They were both ready, he could just tell.

Tubbo got up and got on Schlatt's chair, adrenaline flowing through his veins. As the clapping died down he cleared his throat, grabbed the mic, and started to speak.

"Hey everyone! I hope you're having an amazing time at this _wonderful_ festival!!" Tubbo started, receiving a round of applause.

"Alright alright...now before I start my speech I just want to talk to everyone for a bit! I wanted to talk about how _great_ of a president Schlatt is for setting all of this up, I mean look around, it's beautiful.." Tubbo continued, boosting Schlatt's ego. Schlatt grinned, a cocky expression on his face. Tubbo smiled, getting ready to wipe that grin off of his face.

As the noise died down, he continued his speech, his heart racing.

"...Even though _I_ was the one who actually decorated everything..built everything..actually now that I think about it...I did all of the work didn't I Schlatt? Well with a bit of help from Karl and Fundy.." Tubbo said, his voice starting to shake.

"Tubbo wh-"

"Actually Schlatt...I always do the work don't I? It's always ' _Tubbo this!_ ' and ' _Tubbo that!_ ' While you just sit on your ass doing nothing. Absolutely _nothing_ I tell you!" Tubbo yelled out, already starting to tear up. Everyone looked at Tubbo, confused and surprised. No one knew what was happening, Tommy didn't even know what was happening. 

"Yet you complain about me...every single day you complain and complain and _complain_ …and honestly im sick of it, Quackity's sick of it, **_everyone_ **is sick of it!!"

"Tubbo I don't know what kind of game you're playing but it has to stop...it's not funny anymore heh.." Quackity quickly said, ready to defend Schlatt.

"Oh shut up Big Q, everyone knows you're just a little pawn for Schlatt, he doesn't even see you as a second president you know! He thinks you're _so_ annoying, that you talk, and talk, and talk and _never_ shut up!! Did you know that? I bet you didn't, right?" Tubbo replied, an angry expression on his face. He was letting everything out, right then in there. Letting the stress, the anger, the sadness, all of it out.

Quackity looked over to Schlatt, not wanting to believe a single word he says, but he's not so surprised at the expression Schlatt has. Schlatt was _seething_ with anger, his face practically steaming with rage. 

"Oh not to mention the absolute _horrible_ things you've said Schlatt! Like how you wanted to destroy all wildlife, set all forests on fire, and drain every single body of water that's in Manburg! All you want is destruction Schlatt..and now everyone knows!" Tubbo yelled out as he looked at his former president. Gasps were heard from below them, everyone shocked.

"I mean I could keep on going y'know..I could say how you _forced_ me to tear down the walls right after you kicked Tommy and Wilbur out before I could even _comprehend_ what was going on! The amount of fucking _stress_ you've put on me Schlatt is unbearable...I'm done..I'm done with your _bullshit_." Tubbo gritted through his teeth, tears starting to stream down his face.

Suddenly, Schlatt laughed.

His laugh loud enough for everyone to hear.

And he laughed, and laughed, and laughed, as if this was all one big joke.

"Oh Tubbo...you really do surprise me sometimes.." Schlatt gritted through his teeth, an angry expression still on his face. "But this...heh..this is just so unacceptable.." 

Suddenly he got up and stood in front of Tubbo.

He then punched Tubbo.

Right in the face.

In front of _everyone_.

Tubbo groaned, falling on his back. He could hear even more gasps, louder this time. Others whispering with each other, shocked at what just happened.

His vision was blurry, he could feel the pain start to fade in slowly as he no longer had much adrenaline in him. As sat up he could feel blood dripping down his nose, the warm red liquid making it past his lips. He could taste the metallic substance a bit. He felt like vomiting.

Tubbo couldn't even tell what was happening, everything felt like a blur. He could feel 2 hands wrap around the front of his suit as he was pulled up from the ground. He saw Schlatt in front of him, he couldn't hear what he was saying as his ears started ringing. Too much was going on, it was too overwhelming. That was until he heard a shout.

" **TUBBO!!** " 

That quickly snapped him out of his daze, as he looked behind him to see Tommy there, on the horse with supplies. He even had Tubbo's bag on him, the smaller boy guesses that he found it.

Everyone couldn't keep up what was happening, it was too much. They were so confused on what was happening, even Wilbur was confused.

Tubbo looked back at Schlatt, who was currently looking at Tommy with a confused expression on his face.

"I guess this is goodbye Schlatt...just know that I'll never miss a fucking asshole like you" Tubbo spat, negativity in his voice. Before Schlatt could even understand what was going on, Tubbo got out and ender pearl, and threw it right where Tommy was.

Schlatt's eyes widened, it was too late. Before he knew it, Tubbo disappeared right in front of him, purple particles floating around where he was.

Tubbo appeared next to the horse, his head feeling a bit dizzy. Before he could even look at his surroundings, a hand grabbed his arm and pulled him up on the horse. Tubbo yelped, not expecting that.

"I swear to _god_ Tubbo if you step out of Manburg and run away you fucking will regret it.." Schlatt said in the mic. Tubbo looked over to see Schlatt on the podium, an angry expression still on his face. He sniffled a bit, still recovering from the punch. 

Tubbo was still mad. Still fueled with rage about Schlatt.

" _FUCK YOU SCHLATT!!_ " 

He yelled out, giving Schlatt the middle finger. Tommy started laughing, a shocked expression all over his face.

Schlatt was now _angry_ , it looked as if he was about to just explode right then and there. 

" **I WANT EVERY FUCKING PERSON WITH A WEAPON TO GO AFTER THOSE TWO CHILDREN RIGHT NOW!!** " Schlatt yelled into the mic, making some people jump. 

Ponk, Sapnap, and a few others with netherite armor and tools hesitantly stood up, looking around to see if anyone else would follow Schlatt's orders. They were all scared, no, _terrified_ of what Schlatt would do to them if they didn't follow his orders. (Except Technoblade, obviously)

"Are you guys fucking _DEAF_!? I SAID GO AFTER THEM! NOW!!" Schlatt repeated, yelling louder than before. That got people running, chasing after the boys who were already on the run.

The only people who stayed sitting down were Eret, Niki, Karl, and Techno.

Schlatt squinted at Techno, who was just looking around, not knowing what to do.

He could _easily_ find Tommy and Tubbo and bring them back, Schlatt knows he could.

But he didn't.

He just sat there, awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

It pissed Schlatt off so much.

* * *

Tommy and Tubbo ran from the multiple people trying to go after him, holding onto the horse and each other as tight as possible. Adrenaline was seeping through their veins as the wind flowed through their hair.

Tommy started to smile, they were actually doing it. They were running away. Running away from everything and everyone, running away from all the chaos, war, and destruction. They were finally free.

Tommy laughed freely, the realization finally hitting him as hard as the breeze.

"Tubbo we're actually doing it! We're running away!!" Tommy yelled loud enough so that Tubbo could hear. Tubbo smiled as he heard those words, the realization hitting him as well.

"Holy shit...we're actually...holy shit!!" Tubbo exclaimed excitedly. He was speechless, not knowing what to say. The shorter boy couldn't even believe what was happening, if it was real or not. 

Tubbo held onto Tommy tighter, not wanting to fall off the horse by how fast it was going. He started giggling, not having a care in the world. All that mattered to him at that moment was both of them, running away with each other. 

Tommy started giggling too after hearing the smaller boy behind him starting to cackle. He didn't know what they were even laughing about, but all he knew was that they could finally be happy, together and forever.

* * *

"Alright I think we should stop here and rest for the night, we traveled pretty far away so I doubt anyone would follow us.." Tommy said as he got off the horse, helping Tubbo get off the horse as well.

They looked around to see that they were in a simple plains biome, flowers scattered around the flat terrain. They've been traveling for half the day, getting as far away as possible. The sun started to set, the orange sky shining brightly as it turned darker and darker by the second.

As they both looked at the sun, squinting their eyes as it shined brightly, Tubbo couldn't help but smile. He grinned from ear to ear, already starting to think about all the possibilities of what they could do.

There were no rules, no violence, no wars, none of that. Just him, Tommy, and the horse (although the horse doesn't really count). 

Tubbo looked over at Tommy, to see the taller boy smiling as well, holding onto the horse. As it got darker and darker, the moon coming up from the opposite direction, they both started gathering wood, putting on the armor that they had.

They were starting over, taking the chance to finally be the kids that they've always dreamed of being.

This was finally it.

They could live their lives however they want to, together.

And hell was it nice to finally relax, not having to deal with any pressure.

It was so nice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DON'T WORRY!! THIS ISN'T THE END YET :D  
> I'm pretty sure the next chapter will be the last chapter though, so you'll have to stay until next time  
> Sorry for not posting in WEEKS! School has literally been so annoying, I've been getting sO much work thats pretty overwhelming so i haven't had much time to actually write :(  
> But luckily I have now finished, so I hoped you liked it!!!  
> Comments and Kudos are very appreciated <3


	5. the aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If something is in italics, that means its telling a memory :)  
> pls tell me if you see any mistakes!

_6 months later…_

"TUBBO GIVE ME BACK MY DIAMONDS!! I MINED THEM LITERALLY YESTERDAY GIVE THEM BACK!" Tommy shouted from across the house. The shorter boy snickered, finding Tommy's angry expression amusing.

"Well then give me back my pufferfish!" Tubbo replied, running away from the taller boy. Sure Tommy may be faster but with all the stuff in the house Tubbo was more stealthier, finding shortcuts to get away from him.

"Tubb _ooooo_ , just give me back my diamonds!" Tommy whined, already getting tired of chasing his best friend around the small cottage. 

"Well then give me back my pufferfish! It's a fair deal if I do say so myself." Tubbo replied, smiling.

"I'm not giving you back your _stupid_ pufferfish until you give me back my diamonds!" 

"Well then I guess these diamonds are mine now.." Tubbo said with a snicker

"Oh you little-"

Tommy was cut off by a loud pounding at the door, scaring both of the boys. They looked at each other, scared but also confused. No one has ever knocked on their door, not a single person.

Tommy started to walk towards the door, being cautious of his steps. He took out his sword, his heart starting to beat faster and faster as he got closer to the door.

Tubbo took out his bow, getting ready to shoot whatever enemy that's ready to attack them. Ever since they both left Manburg, they've decided to get stronger, to get better at combat. Tubbo mostly practiced with a bow, being a bit too scared to fight in combat. While Tommy on the other hand, practiced on sword combat, as it was his strongest suit other than his intelligence.

Tommy looked back at Tubbo, making sure he's ready to shoot. Tubbo looked at him, giving a determined nod. The taller boy nodded back, looking back at the door.

He grabbed the doorknob, twisting it slowly. He then opened the door quickly, shoving his sword out at the opponent outside. 

He then realized that this person was no enemy.

Not at all.

"T-Tommy?.." 

Tommy's eyes widened, dropping the weapon.

Tubbo lowered his bow, a confused look on his face.

"Niki..?" Tommy whispered, a wave of relief washing over him.

Tubbo's eyes widened as well. _'Niki!?!'_ Tubbo exclaimed in his head.

Niki basically tackled Tommy, squeezing him into a tight embrace. She seemed to have the biggest smile on her face. Tommy hugged back, a shocked smile on his face. They let go, both of them shocked.

Tubbo smiled wide, running to the girl.

"NIKI?!?" Tubbo yelled out, now it was his turn to tackle her. Niki hugged back just as tightly, a soft laugh escaping her lips. 

"It's me.." Niki said softly, pulling back from the tight embrace. Both Tommy and Tubbo couldn't believe it, Niki was _actually_ here.

"How did you-...WHAT?!" Tubbo yelled out, still in shock, Tommy was as well.

Niki giggled, looking at their confused and shocked faces. "I can tell you how I found you here, but can I sit down if that's okay with you?" She asked politely, a soft smile on her face

Tubbo nodded, leading her to the dining room, which only had 2 seats so Tommy was left there to stand (he was obviously not so happy about that). 

Niki sighed out, not wanting to explain the tragedy that was L'manburg.

"So! Where do you want me to start?" Niki asked both boys. They looked at each other for a bit, as if they were talking with their eyes. It was crazy how close they are till this day, it made the girl smile.

"Em...from when we left, if that's okay with you.." Tubbo replied.

"Alright..so let's see if i can..remember what happened.." Niki said, starting to explain what happened.

* * *

_Niki heard multiple footsteps running from the forest, all of them coming one by one._

_"What the...Where the hell is Tubbo and Tommy? I fucking told you guys to catch them!" Schlatt yelled out at them._

_It was silent for a while, until Punz decided to speak up._

_"We couldn't find them, they ran away too quickly.." Punz replied, an apologetic expression on his face._

_Schlatt seethed with anger, his face looking ready to just pop._

_Schlatt then screamed._

_He screamed so loud that it even startled Techno a bit._

_The president was shouting complete nonsense, as he pointed at the people who came back from the forest._

_Everyone was terrified._

_As Schlatt yelled at the others, spouting nothing but insults. Quackity tried calming him down, but it was no use, the man was too angry to even say a complete sentence._

_Niki, terrified out of her mind, started walking away slowly. She kept on walking, not wanting to be near Schlatt ever again._

_Wilbur's gone insane, Tommy and Tubbo ran away. What was there left for her?_

_Niki was prepared to run, run as fast as she could._

_Until she heard redstone being activated._

_It was a very faint noise._

_But a noise nonetheless._

_Before Niki knew it, a loud boom was heard right in front of her._

* * *

A gasp was heard from both of the boys.

"So he actually.." Tubbo said, shocked to his core.

Niki nodded, a sad expression on her face.

Tubbo looked at Tommy, to see a cold expression on his face. He didn't seem sad, but he was definitely not happy as well.

"You okay Tommy?..." Tubbo asked, a concerned expression on his face. The taller boy looked away.

Tubbo knew how hard it must be for the younger boy, as Wilbur _was_ his older brother. Both of them had a weird relationship, it was great at first, Wilbur and Tommy being the basic representation of brotherly love.

Until Wilbur went insane.

That's when all of it stopped.

That's when Tommy stopped receiving little hair ruffles from him, or the comforting hugs for when he was feeling overwhelmed, or even when Tommy needed advice, he didn't know who to go to anymore.

Tubbo wrapped his arms around Tommy, holding him tightly.

Tommy was quick to hug back the smaller boy, giving him a light squeeze.

Both boys eventually got to a point where they both knew when the other needed comfort, and they were both quick to give and receive it.

It took Tommy a while to actually accept any type of comfort from anyone, as the last person who gave him comfort is now insane.

But eventually Tommy gave in, now being able to easily hug Tubbo back.

Tubbo could hear a few sniffles from Tommy, the back of his shirt getting wet (which he assumed was from the tears).

Tubbo rubbed Tommy's back, whispering nothing but comforting words to him. 

They pulled away after a while, Tubbo caressing Tommy's face, wiping away his tears.

"You okay?.." Tubbo asked again.

This time Tommy nodded, smiling a bit as he wiped away his own tears.

Tubbo nodded at him, making sure to keep a mental note to talk to him about this.

Niki smiled at the both of them, the scene warming her heart. She never would've thought how close they both were, since the only one who ever shows affection in public is Tubbo.

"Is it okay if I continue?" Niki asked, more specifically asking Tommy. She didn't want to force him to listen to her, as it was a sensitive topic for him.

Tommy nodded his head, sniffling one last time. "You're fine, please continue." He replied, crossing his arms.

Niki nodded, smiling at him. She continued on with her story.

* * *

_Niki covered her ears quickly, hearing a sound ringing in her ear loudly. Her eyes were shut tightly, feeling hot smoke blow into her face._

_Everything felt hot, it was as if something was burning right in front of her._

_She finally was able to open her eyes, but all she was left with was just some smoke. The girl coughed, her lungs getting irradiated from all the smoke._

_As she walked back, trying to see what happened, the smoke started clearing up._

_And what she saw was horrid._

_Quackity, Punz, Ponk, Sapnap, Eret, everyone was in a giant crater, all of them looking very hurt._

_'L'manburg??' Niki thought to herself, confused on what happened._

_Niki looked around to see Techno coughing up some water._

_"T-Techno? Techno!" Niki yelled out, running to the pig._

_"N-Niki?.." Techno said, trying to breathe in and out carefully._

_"Wh-..What happened?..." Niki asked, wincing a little. Her lungs still hurt from inhaling all the smoke._

_"I don't know...we were just sitting down and then I suddenly was falling from the sky." Techno replied, his monotone voice still there even after hell broke loose._

_As the smoke cleared up second by second, Niki noticed a figure in the smoke. It seemed pretty far away but she could still see the shadows of the figure._

_It took Niki a few seconds to realize that the figure in the smoke was Wilbur._

_The man smiled, eyes wide as he observed the destruction._

_He was in a tiny room, a room that was half destroyed, a couple of signs behind him with a 1 block wide entrance._

_Then he laughed._

_He laughed and laughed and laughed._

_Niki was terrified._

_"W-Wil!??" She shouts out, creeping towards the room, trying not to fall in the giant crater right in front of her._

_Wilbur looked at Niki, not knowing what to say._

_"Wilbur?...Did you...do this?.." The girl asked, after she was close enough so that he could hear her._

_Wilbur chuckled, and then nodded, a smile still on his face. "Who else would it be?.."_

_"I...Why...Why would you do this!?" She shouted, absolutely devastated, tears started to well up in her eyes. Her home, L'manburg...it was gone. She observed the people in the crater, some were trying to get up, others were just lying there._

_"It was just meant to be…" He replied._

_Niki looked over at Wilbur, to see him weilding a diamond sword over his stomach._

_Niki's eyes widened._

_"Wil-"_

_"Goodbye Niki...find Tommy and Tubbo for me yeah?"_

_In a flash, Wilbur punctured himself in the stomach with the sword, blood spewing out of the wound immediately._

* * *

"Is...Is that why you're here?...because Wilbur told you to find us?..." Tommy asked, his voice wavering.

Niki looked at him, her eyes welling up.

"Well yeah...It was his last wish that I could only fulfill…" She replied, whispering the words.

She wiped her tears, sniffling a bit. It was still a hard topic for her to talk about even if it was months ago.

"If you want, you don't have to keep talking about it if you don't want to…" Tubbo said comfortingly. The boy never really had a strong relationship with Wilbur, but he still looked up to him a lot. Everyone did.

"I'm fine, I'm fine...it's just really hard to talk about…" Niki replied, wiping more of her tears away.

"Take your time, we have all day." Tubbo replied, giving her a warm smile that could light up the whole world.

Niki smiled back, thankful that Tubbo stayed the same after all that he's been through. She sighed, wiping her tears one final time before continuing the story.

* * *

_Niki didn't know what to do, she was frozen, tears were falling down her face rapidly._

_Wilbur flashed Niki a smile, blood pouring out of his mouth as well. He then collapsed on the floor, the ground painted with blood._

_There was a lot of blood._

_Niki screamed._

_She didn't even realize she was screaming until Techno came to find out what was wrong, only to see his brother, dead on the ground._

_Niki looked away, closing her eyes shut. She couldn't believe what was going on. She didn't want to believe it._

_Techno felt a pang of sadness in his heart as he witnessed the scene from a far. He came closer, only to just see more details on Wilbur's dead body. How he's still holding the diamond sword that was stabbed through his stomach, how he still has a satisfied smile on his face, even in death._

_Niki wiped her tears, clearing up her throat. She was still sensitive, but realized that she needed to help the others that were hurt. She turned to Techno, who was still observing Wilbur's body._

_"Do you think you can help out these people?" Niki asked, her voice wavering a bit. He nodded, already starting to get down to the bottom of the crater._

_It was a massive crater._

_Right as the both of them got down, they heard a familiar voice, who seems to be calling out for someone._

_"...att..Schlatt please...please just w-wake up man…" Quackity desperately called out, shaking the man's body. It was so obvious that he was dead, but yet Quackity still kept trying to wake him up._

_No matter how much Niki hated Schlatt, she still found the scene in front of her heart breaking. Quackity was all Schlatt had, he made an agreement to mix both his and Schlatt's votes if they lost. And yet after all that, Schlatt was lying on the ground, dead._

_Niki and Techno went around, helping the ones that were injured, and carrying the ones out that were unconscious._

_In the end, Schlatt was the only one who died._

_Niki observed the giant crater from above. L'manburg was gone, and will be gone forever._

_But it's story will live on. It's history will never be forgotten._

* * *

"...and that's about it." Niki said, looking up at the two boys.

"Wait that's it? You guys didn't try to rebuild L'manburg?.." Tubbo asked, disappointment behind his voice.

"We thought about it, but then realized that if we rebuild it, there's still a high chance that history could repeat itself...not to mention the fact that Techno did _not_ like that idea.." Niki explained, chuckling a bit. Tubbo understood, he nodded as a response.

Tommy was quiet. He's been quiet ever since Niki mentioned Wilbur blowing up L'manburg. 

Niki couldn't blame him, Wilbur seemed like a great guy at first, but I guess everything went downhill very quickly.

"Is...Is the crater still there? Do you think we can visit L'manburg?" Tubbo suggested, looking at both Niki and Tommy.

"I...don't know..I haven't been back since it happened..we all separated and moved onto our own ways. I still visit Techno from time to time but that's basically it.." Niki explained "but I'm sure it's still there, no one seemed to want to take time and fix the damage so...we _can_ go visit L'manburg if you want to.." 

Tubbo nodded, understanding the situation. He looked at Tommy, who seemed to be deep in thought, brows furrowed.

"Tommy? Do you want to go back?" He asked, a concerning expression on his face. 

Tommy stayed quiet for a while. 

"Yeah...I do want to go back.." He whispered, finally answering after a beat of silence.

Tubbo smiled widely, jumping up from his seat, already at the door.

"Onwards we go, to L'manburg!!" He shouted, running out the door to get the horses they had

Tommy chuckled, feeling better already. He followed quickly, bringing Niki along with him.

Niki got on her own horse that she used to come here, both of the boys got on their horse, talking loudly about something.

"Okay just follow me, I think I remember the way there.." Niki said, the two boys nodded. On the way there they all caught up on their lives.

Niki also moved away, not too far away but not too close as well. Him and Fundy were neighbors, and ran their own bakery. People came around everyday, buying their sweets and pastries, it was nice.

Tommy and Tubbo made their own little cottage, not too small but big enough for the both of them and their things. They made a garden and a bee farm as well! They've been the happiest they've ever been.

After traveling for almost an hour, they finally made it to L'manburg.

And oh boy was it ruined.

The big crater was there, ominously intimidating the three of them. They all got off of their horses, leaving them tied up to a fence.

As they got closer to the crater, they could see every little dent the explosion made to their home.

The flag was no longer standing, who knows where it went, it was just gone.

Their home.

It was all gone.

Tommy choked out a sob, putting a hand over his mouth. He couldn't believe it. He risked his lives for this nation, and yet in the end, it was gone.

Tubbo and Niki hugged Tommy, as tears spilled from his face. Tommy couldn't bear to see the monstrosity in front of him, it hurt. It hurt him a lot.

It still hurt Niki, even after all this time. No matter how much time will pass, she will still have that nostalgia of giving out sweets to the other people in L'manburg.

Tubbo just observed the destruction, a pained expression on his face. His happy memories of running around L'manburg quickly started to come back, and now he wished that everything would start to rebuild itself, to see Wilbur alive and not insane.

As the three embraced each other, sharing their pain together, they all realized that it was for the best.

L'manburg may be gone, but their memories will stay forever, until the day they die.

And that was all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YES IM FINALLY DONE WITH THIS HOLY HELL MAN  
> After like a month of procrastinating I just sat my ass down for like 2 days and starting WRITING AHAHAHDGFHS  
> ANYWAY I really hoped you enjoyed this fanfic, its my first time writing a fanfic with chapters (i mostly write oneshots) so this was definitely an experience! It was so fun to think of ideas on what to do on certain scenes and everything, im very satisfied on the whole thing and i hope you are as well!!  
> Genuinely, thank you for all the nice comments and all the support, you're all so patient and amazing <3  
> Please read my other one-shots, i have a lot more I will be posting so stay tuned :)  
> I hope you all have a great day you wonderful lot, and a happy holidays <3 (and if you read this like later on then have a great day!)


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